EZVI (Emulsified Zero-Valent Iron) combines food-grade plant oil, surfactants and nano/micron-scale zero-valent iron in a biodegradable oil-in-water emulsion. It is designed to reach dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source zones that standard particulate ZVI cannot access.
How It Works
EZVI shares the hydrophobic character of DNAPLs such as PCE and TCE, so the two phases partition together — the oil film isolates and concentrates contaminant at the iron surface rather than relying on iron encountering contaminant dissolved in groundwater.
Two pathways then run in parallel: an abiotic pathway, where ZVI inside the emulsion micelles reduces contaminant directly, and a biotic pathway, where the plant oil acts as a slow-release hydrogen donor supporting anaerobic dechlorination in the surrounding plume long after the initial injection.
Applications
- DNAPL source-zone treatment (PCE, TCE and other chlorinated solvents)
- Brownfield and former-industrial groundwater contamination
- Superfund and equivalent regulated remediation programmes
Advantages
- Reaches source-zone DNAPL that standard ZVI cannot contact
- Dual chemical + biological treatment from one injection event
- Creates a "halo effect", extending treatment into the surrounding plume
- Field-proven at sites in the US, Canada, Australia and France